There are many fundamental unanswered questions concerning the composition, structure, and dynamics of lateral microdomains (rafts) in biological membranes. Thus, sophisticated techniques have been used to study intact cell membranes as well as model systems composed of specific lipids and proteins thought to be in rafts. Using proven biochemical, biophysical, and computational methods, this book provides the most up-to-date information on the subject, information that promises to continue unraveling the many mysteries of the properties and formation of lipid rafts. All this makes this work an essential reference for molecular biologists, biochemists, biophysicists, and biophysical chemists.

In-depth examination of sophisticated techniques used to study intact cell membranes Proven, detailed biochemical, biophysical, and computational methods and protocols

Inhalt
Overview of Membrane Rafts.- Analysis of Raft Affinity of Membrane Proteins by Detergent-Insolubility.- Nondetergent Isolation of Rafts.- Detecting Ordered Domain Formation (Lipid Rafts) in Model Membranes Using Tempo.- Using Monomolecular Films to Characterize Lipid Lateral Interactions.- Electro-Formation and Fluorescence Microscopy of Giant Vesicles With Coexisting Liquid Phases.- Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy.- Multiphoton Laser-Scanning Microscopy and Spatial Analysis of Dehydroergosterol Distributions on Plasma Membrane of Living Cells.- NMR Detection of Lipid Domains.- Lateral Diffusion Coefficients of Raft Lipids From Pulsed Field Gradient NMR.- Saturation-Recovery Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Discrimination by Oxygen Transport (DOT) Method for Characterizing Membrane Domains.- Plasmon-Waveguide Resonance Spectroscopy Studies of Lateral Segregation in Solid-Supported Proteolipid Bilayers.- Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching Studies of Lipid Rafts.- Single-Molecule Tracking.- X-Ray Diffraction to Determine the Thickness of Raft and Nonraft Bilayers.- Small-Angle Neutron Scattering to Detect Rafts and Lipid Domains.- Exploring Membrane Domains Using Native Membrane Sheets and Transmission Electron Microscopy.- Atomic Force Microscopy of Lipid Domains in Supported Model Membranes.- Atomistic and Coarse-Grained Computer Simulations of Raft-Like Lipid Mixtures.- A Microscopic Model Calculation of the Phase Diagram of Ternary Mixtures of Cholesterol and Saturated and Unsaturated Phospholipids.